Staple blank and method of forming same



Oct. 29, 1929. MAYNARD 1,733,506

STAPLE BLANK AND METHOD OF FORMING SAME Filed March 5, 1927 O.Zzrzzi'ar."

Patented Oct. 29, .1929

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

ARTHUR H. MAYNARD, OF WARWICK, RHODE ISLAND, vASvSIGNOIR. TO BOSTON WIRESTITCHER COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE STAPLEBLANK AND METHOD OF FORMING SAME Application filed March 5, 1927. SerialNo. 178,161.

This invention relates to a novel method of manufacturing staples foruse in stapling or wire stitching machines and to the improved blank orstrip of staples produced thereby.

One object of the invention is to provide a method of forming thestaples from sheet stock to produce a strip comprising a plurality ofcontiguous staples or staple blanks joined together by frangibleportions which permit them to be readily separated 1n the machine thatapplies them to the work.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a staple strip in whichthe individual staples or staple blanks are completely d1- vided fromthe strip along their contiguous edges except for the frangibleconnectmg portions which, are of less cross sectional area than thestock of the staples so that the latter may be cleanly broken apartwithout leaving rough projections or jagged tangs on then sides.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of manufacturingthe staples that is simpler to perform and more economical in practiceand which produces more unlform andbet-ter finished staples.

Further objects of the improvement are set forth in the followingspecification which describes a preferred form of construction of thestaple strip or blank and an improved method for its manufacture.Thespecification is illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which: V

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the staple blank in its flat form beforebending;

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the improved staple blank or strip shownas bent lnto finished form;

Fig. 3 is a greatly enlarged cross-sectlonal view of the flat blanktaken on line 33 of Fig. 1; L

Fig. 4 is a similarly enlarged cross-sectlonal view of the fully formedstaple strip taken on line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the same taken online 55 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing a modification in the form ofthe means for joining the staples together in the strip.

wire stitching machines used in the manufacture of boxes, for stitchingbooks, pamphlets and the like and for various other purposes.

It has been the usual practice in the present art to form the staplesindividually from lengths of wire, and in the case of hand staplingmachines, to assemble a series of the staples on sticks or holders toprovide a convenient method of furnishingthe user with a supply ofthestaples in package form. In the larger wire stitching machines, whichare usually power-operated, a continuous length of wire is fed to themachine and the staples are formed separately from sections -cut fromthe wire during the stapling operation.

Y It has heretofore been proposed to provide a blank or strip ofconnected staples for use in hand-operated machines and one form of sucha strip has the staples spaced apart at their longitudinal edges andjoined at the center of their heads by means of a tab or tongue of thesheet-stock from which the staples are constructed. In other cases theseparately formed staples have been joined together in the strip bymeans of a thin sheet of paper cemented or gummed thereto; while instill other instances it has been proposed to attach the staples in astrip with a cementitious binder such as solder, shellac, collodium orthe like.

None of the above mentioned methods of forming or assembling the staplesin strips 'had been found entirely satisfactory, how

ever, owing to various reasons. In the commonest form of strip havingthe staples spaced apart and joined by a central tab or tongue madeintegral from the stock, the staples cannot be compacted closely asthere is considerable waste space between them. A more serious objectionto this form of staple strip, however, is that when the staples are cutapart in the stapling machine the ends of the tabs or connecting tonguesare left as pro ecting tangs with their edges rough and uneven. Theserough and jagged projections on the sides of the staples are liabletocatch in the paper or in other objects and to in ure the fingers orcause other damage. Morefected by climatic conditions and do not alwayshold together. Where solder or tinning is used as a bond it is diflicultto dlstrlbute it uniformly over the staples and well nlgh impossible .toeffect a neat'and eflicient o1nt or connection between the staples inthe strip. The excess solder or tin is apt to clog themachine andprevent its proper operation.

My present improvement contemplates the bonding together or joinder ofthestaples 1n contiguous relation in the strip W1thout the use ofcollodium, shellac, solder or other cementitious binders and provides aconnection or tie between the individual stapleswhich, though integraltherewith, is easily fractured to separate the staples and, when broken,presents no rough and unsightly pro: jections on the edges of thestaples.

In general, my improved method of manu- "facturing the staples in theblank or strip consists in the employment of aflat length of relativelythin sheet-metal which is sheared or stamped out to the proper width inaccordance with the size and shape of the staples to be formed andwhich, if desired, mayhave its lateral edges serrated or notched toprovide sharp driving-points for the legs of the staples. Such a stripor flat blank, designated 2, is illustrated in Fig. 1 of the presentdrawings and it is to be understood that the blanks may be of anysuitable width'in accordance with the size and shape of the staples tobe formed and of a length proportionate to the number of staples desiredin the complete strip. In some cases the blank may be of sufiicientwidth to constitute a plurality of staple strips to be later cut intosingle strips, but for convenience of illustration I have herein shownthe blank 2 in the form of a single strip. As the blank 2 is stamped orsheared from the fiat sheet-stock its edges may be formed withserrations 3 similar to saw-teeth which provide pointed ends for thelegs of the staples. It will be understood that the angular pointst aredimensioned in accordance with the width of the staples to be produced,and usually the points on one side of the strip are inclined in thereverse direction to those on the opposite side so that the two legs ofeach staple will be pointed at opposite angles, this being a commonpractice to provide for a better driving action when the staples arepierced or projected through the work.

After the strip 2 has been blanked out in the form shown in Fig. 1, thenext step in the process of forming the individual staples consists inshearing or fracturing the stock across the width of the blank in aseries of parallel slits 5 which define the edges of the several staples6. This shearing or slitting of the metal is performed in suitable diesor rollers and may be accomplished without passing a tool or cutterthrough the stock. One practical method for performing this operation isto provide roller dies which force or bend the narrow strip of stock 6constituting each staple across the main plane of the sheet or blank tofracture the metal along the lines of demarcation between the adjacentstaples.

bring all of the staples 6 into the same plane as shown in Fig. 1.

During the above described operation of deforming-and slitting the blank2 a portion of the stock is left intact extending between each twoadjacent staples to connect all of the series of staples in the strip,and one novel feature of my present improvement consists in theprovision of a connecting bond or tie 7 between the staples which is ofless cross-sectional dimension than the stock of the blank. I mayprovide the metal bond or tie 7 at one or a plurality of points on thesides of the narrow staple blank 6 and, as illustrated in Fig. 3, Iprefer to use bonds at two points on the edges of the cross-bar or head.of the staple. When the stock of the flat strip or blank 2 is sheared orslitted on the lines 5, instead of breaking it clear through the metalthroughout the whole widthof the strip, 1 leave a relatively thincross-sectional area at 7 which forms the bond. These areas of stockconstitute thin fins connecting each two adjacent staples or stapleblanks 6 throughout the whole strip 2. The cross-sectional area of thefins 7 is partly lenticular or oval in shape, this peculiar formresulting from the slitting of the stock on the lines 5 clear across theblank 2 with the cut or slit increasing in depth at either side of thecentral portion of the connecting areas or fins 7.

Fig. 2 illustrates the blank 2 after its sides have been bent down toform the legs 8 of the staples, thus providing a series of completelyformed staples. In some instances, however, the strip may be used in itsflat form and the individual staple blanks 6 bent into final shape inthe machine-that applies them to the work. Fig. 4 is an enlargedcross-section 1 view ofthe complete] formed staple strip 2 taken on line4-4 of ig. 2 and showing the points at which the staples are bondedtogether. It will be observed by reference to this view that theconnecting sections or fins 7 between the staples 6 are of relativelythin cross-section and therefore easily frangible so that the staplesmay be readily broken apart or separated in the machine that appliesthem to the work. Fig. 5'illustrates a longitudinal section of thestaple strip taken on line 55 of Fig. 4 passing through the bondingsections or fins 7 which tie the staples together. It will be noted byreference to this latter view-that the staples are divided at the topalong the whole length of their heads or upper'cross-bars so that eachstaple is initially disunited and severed from the adjacent staples inthe strip throughout its whole length except for the narrow bondingportions 7 of the stock.

Fig. 6 shows a similar view of the staple strip except that theindividual staples are bonded at points. 10 intermediate their top andbottom edges, that is, centrally of the stock in their heads orcross-bars. In this form the connecting areas or fins 7-- are oflentiucular or diamond shape in cross-section and the cross-bars orheads of the staples are severed along their edges both at top andbottom.

It will be understood that the completed staple strip 2 shown in Fig. 2of the drawings may be used by feeding it into the machine or placing itina magazine to be fed therefrom to the staple driver or other implementwhich inserts the staples into the work. As the driver descends upon thehead or crossbar of the foremost staple in the strip it will break itaway from the main strip by fracturing the binding sections or fins 7.It is to be particularly noted, however, that since the sides of thestaples are in contiguous or abutting relation in the strip, when thebinding sections are fractured no projections or rough edges will beleft on the edges of the staples. Consequently, the staples whenseparated from the strip and driven into the work are of substantiallythe same form and appearance as if constructed from a length of flatwire, it being impossible to discern the points at which they werejoined together except by inspection under amagnifying lass.

It has been explained that the staple lank or strip 2 may be used in thestaple or stitching machine in the form shown in Fig. 1 withoutbending-it to form the legs of the staple. In this form the fiat stripsmay be packed more compactly for shipment and handling and likewise theymay be used in more compact arrangement in the magazine of the staplingmachine. That is to say, several strips may be laid one u on another sothat a large supply of staple lanks may be contained in a small space."When the flat blanks or strips 2 are used in the machine the stapledriver or plunger is designed to act on each individual staple blank 6as it is severed from the strip to bend down its le s before driving thestaple into the work. n other words, the stapling machine will act ontheindividual staple blanks in the same manner as if they were lengths ofwire fed to the staple driver for forming over an anvil in the usualmanner.

,It will be observed from the foregoing that my invention embodies aparticularly simple and eflicient method of forming staples of the typedescribed from sheet stock to provide for the greatest economy in thecost of their manufacture. Furthermore, the invention provides asanother feature a staple strip or blank wherein the staples are arrangedin contiguous abutting relation to economize space, while being adaptedfor more convenient handling and packing and forming a more attractivearticle of sale as a supply'package for either hand or erated machines.

The improved method of joining or bonding the staples together in thestrip provides for easier separation of the individual staples duringthe process of applying them to the work. Moreover, this improved meansfor bonding or joining the staples provides for the separation orbreaking apart of the staples without leaving rough edges or jaggedprojections on their sides so that the staples have a much betterfinished appearance in the work.

While I have herein illustrated a preferred method of carrying out theprocess and a preferred form of the staple strip or blank producedthereby, it is to be understood that the steps in the process ofmanufacture may be varied and the form and construction of the articleitself may be changed without depart ing from the spirit or scope of theinvention.

Therefore, without limiting myself in this respect, I claim:

1. A staple strip for use in stapling and wire stitching machinescomprising a series of staples or staple blanks disposed insubstantially conti uous parallel relation and connected toget er byintegral sections of the metal of less cross-sectional dimension thanthe normal thickness of the stock from which the blanks are formed.

2. A new article of manufacture comprising a series of individualstaples or staple blanks arranged in substantially contiguous abuttingrelation and united in a strip by means of relatively narrow fins of themetal of the strip of less thickness than the stock in the staples.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a staple strip comprising aplurality of staples or staple blanks arranged in contiguous parallelrelation and united in a strip by means of integral sections of thestock out power-oppartly through on the lines of demarcation between theindividual staples.

4. As a new article of commerce, a staple strip comprising a series ofstaples or staple blanks formed from a length of sheet-metal with theindividual staples severed from the strip along their'contiguous edgesexcept for relativel narrow sections of the metal of less thic ness thanthe normal cross-section of the stock.

5. An improiied method of manufacturing staples in a strip or blankconsisting in providing a strip of sheet-Tnetal, treating the strip indies to force the stock constituting adjacent staple blanks intodifierent lanes whereby to slit the metal to sever t e individual stapleblanks from the strip, and preserving relatively narrow sections of thestock without fracture to connect the individual staple blanks withtheir edges in contiguous relation.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature;

ARTHUR H. MAYNARD.

